Is there a reason cornrows are so popular with female MMA fighters?

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Cornrows is one of the oldest hairstyles that dates back to at least 3500 B.C. It came back into vogue long ago,  especially to the African nations. But this hairstyle became a necessity for martial artists, especially for female MMA fighters to avoid distraction, impeding vision, swishing around and more.  Today’s topic is about cornrows of female MMA fighters.

Reasons for wearing cornrows:

Cornrows for female MMA fighters is not the prime reason for the show. Rather, they need to protect their hair and fight as well. Female fighters’ hair is usually long, if not done right, can be a major distraction on stage. Having their hair tightly braided in cornrows helps female MMA fighters to completely focus on their fight without distraction. They hold their cornrowed hair close to the head so it doesn’t swish around, get caught on something,  impede vision or pull by the opponents. It is the most secure hairstyle a female fighter can wear while competing in an MMA match. MMA is a full-contact sport where any damage can happen in the frenzy fight. Female MMA fighters need to be careful about their long hair though it is braided in cornrows. They must make sure they don’t have to do anything to fix the hair instead of  fighting while in the octagon. Because in an off guard situation mighty blows can land in the face that could even result in knockout. Hair pulling is illegal in MMA fights. But it happens. Without cornrows, the hair of  any other styles might be unlocked when the fighting intensifies. Besides personal branding Cornrows is a combat-friendly hairstyle. Hair clips or harmful bands to hold tight locks of hair are not allowed in MMA. 

The cornrows hairstyle offers female MMA fighters  a  tidy mind in the fight. Cornrows, African braiding style, is for every female fighter regardless of the hair’s length and texture. Cornrows hairstyle just doesn’t belong to African culture as long as female MMA fighters wear it for the need. It is a common sight to see long-haired female MMA fighters regardless of race or color wear intricate and tight cornrows. Hairstyles braided in cornrows keep fighters’ hair in an orderly manner.

Cornrows can cause Hair Loss:

Cornrows can cause hair loss because of repeatedly pulling the hair. Here are some tips MMA fighters can follow  when off-fights to avoid hair loss:

Fighters are strongly recommended to remove their braids after the match to ease the stress on the hair follicles on the heads. During off-duty the fighters also do not wear any other tight hairstyles like ponytails, buns, tight locks. They just keep the hair free from any tension. They are also required to use some clinical conditioning treatment and medication to retrieve hair health.

Branding of Female MMA Fighter:

Cornrows hairstyle contributes to the branding of female MMA fighters. Their physical appearance with the hairstyle helps expose them to the media and score more deals of sponsorship. The hairstyle does not only work best while fighting it also gives the fighters a distinctive feminist look. Some even more seriously adore the cornrow hairstyle. Some even go out of their way and try to make their cornrow as unique as possible. For example, Ronda Rousey, an American professional wrestler,  refused to change to a different cornrow style as it might resemble the look of another female fighter.

Conclusion:

Hairstyle is not a major determining factor to win an MMA fight. Since women keep their hair long, it becomes vulnerable to the opponent in a fight. To secure the hair and continue the fight in a match is the prime reason for Cornrows hairstyle. There are other cornrows braided hairstyles–one leading down into a ponytail or eight of cornrows going to the back of the neck. They are cornrows anyway. However, cornrows weaved close to the scalp tightly attached to the back of the head while fighting. It  is popular among the female MMA fighters because of its effectiveness.

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